Gezza

I can’t see it ending. A centuries-old history of fiercely independent tribal infighting & successful resistance to invaders, an isolated still-largely-rural uneducated population in a country divided by mountainous geography & constantly-changing tribal alliances, plus entrenched Islamic fundamentalism – now in the form of both ISIS & the Taliban, sometimes cooperating, sometimes at each others’ throats, plus the endemic corruption of every administration it’s had since the Russian invasion, doom it I think to centuries more of this.

Aljaz tv has been reporting on this attack since it started. This is right in the middle of Kabul, in a highly defended zone. It seems impossible for the attackers to have got in to the building with their arms without inside help.

PartisanZ

No I don’t think so. Anyway, President Trump said he’s not interested in nation-building (Vox video posted below), only in killing terrorists, which is bit tricky when they create more fighters wanting to get rid of “invaders” in a Muslim country this religiously backward & fiercely independent. The Taliban has been to only force so far to have ever gained anything close to national control.

NOEL

Good example of mission creep. Originally the objective was the destruction of el Queada after 9/11 then it stepped up to nation building.
It’s the opposite of Vietnam where the objective was nation building resulting in eventual abandonment.

Gezza

I think the mission creep resulted from the same problem they had in Vietnam, although there they were fighting a single motivated polity, the Communists. In Afghanistan, they’re not only fighting one, they’ve got to contend with tribal & ethnic politics as well.

In both cases they got in to the country thinking the job was a simple one, wiping out the “terrorists” who were perceived as a direct threat. But then they discovered they couldn’t eliminate them, so they tried to establish a secure puppet democratic government capable of containing the inevitable resurgence.

Which they also can’t do. The population blames them for their misery. They’re foreigners & infidels.

Corky

The same question I have been asking myself. Possible attachments to American contractors? I mean, it’s not like Tim from Oakland, decides to fly half way around the world to see the sights in Kabul …what sights?

Blazer

Missy

In less than 5 weeks the Italians go to the polls, and all polling so far has the eurosceptic party Lega Nord leading, though who knows what can happen in 5 weeks.

Matteo Salvini, the leader of Lega Nord, has often railed against the EU, and he has said that Lega Nord is willing to do anything to protect Italy’s interest, including going against the EU deficit and GDP rule. He has stated that he wants “fewer constraints from Europe, no to austerity policies, revision of the European treaties and prevalence of the Italian Constitution over the Community law”.

He is also against the Euro, calling it a failed experiment, he says that a country that does not control its currency is not a free country. This is hardly surprising, Italy is one of the Euro nations that suffered greatly from the GFC and they were unable to take any independent action to alleviate the effects.

Salvini has hit out against a left wing partnership more europe, saying that to have a name like more europe is like giving whiskey to an alcoholic.

Salvini has signed a pre-election coalition deal with Berlusconi’s party pledging to end austerity and promising a revision of EU treaties. This coalition, however, has been strained as Savini has presented a number of anti EU economists as candidates, and Berlusconi has promised the EU that Italy would keep its budget deficit within EU limits.

This is the latest in the growing anti EU feeling in Europe after Brexit, anti EU candidates in France and Netherlands increasing their vote share (though not getting in power), a eurosceptic President in Austria who has appointed an anti EU foreign Minister, and an Anti EU party increasing power in Germany and becoming the third largest party – eating into Merkel’s majority.

Despite the evidence from elections the europhiles seem to believe that anti EU feeling is not that bad, and is in fact shrinking, and that the UK is an anomaly in Europe by voting to leave. If anyone truly depicts an ostrich with their head in the sand unwilling to see the world as it is, it is the EU elite and europhiles of Europe. They really seem to be oblivious to the fact that they are losing support and popularity.

Blazer

This is what I touched on the other day re the disintegration of the EEC.’He is also against the Euro, calling it a failed experiment, he says that a country that does not control its currency is not a free country. ‘

Blazer

Wiki…’Most of the money supply is in the form of bank deposits.[1] [2]Bank loans may increase the quantity of broad money to more than the amount of base money issued by the central bank. Governmental authorities, including central banks and other bank regulators, can use policies such as reserve requirements, and capital adequacy ratios to limit the amount of broad money created by commercial banks.

Central banks may also introduce new money into the economy by issuing coins and notes, and by using expansionary monetary policies such as the purchase of financial assets (quantitative easing) or loans to financial institutions.

Money issued by central banks is called base money, or reserves, while money issued by commercial banks or other intermediaries is termed broad money.’

Joe Bloggs

– Melania bails on him– Mueller interviews Jeff Sessions– Sessions has likely flipped– FBI Director threatens to quit– John Kelly is on his way out– Wilbur Ross is a walking corpse– Papadopoulos has more dirt– It’s still only 11am

Corky

Well, let’s see how we go under China as the worlds sheriff. That will probably come after Trumpy loses office. I’m sure Uncle Chen will have no time for your arguments. Their command will be simple…the state..a gun….get in line or die. Crikey…similar to America, except China wont protect us.

Corky

Mefrostate

The claim made by SB was that the people in the video are “young anti-Trump journalists”. On the available evidence (provided by me, it’s worth noting that SB provides none), would you view that statement to be true or false?

Joe Bloggs

These shootings are just the tip of the iceberg. A report by the Urban Institute showed that in the single school district of Washington, DC, there were at least 336 gunshots in the vicinity of schools over a single school year.

Corky

Everything has price. The price for having protection from the government is the above deaths. Never forget Bloggs, you have no defence against the government..zilch. You and your loved ones can be mowed down with impunity…at any time.